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#3 Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson has been at the receiving end of Lionel Messi's brilliance, most notably in the 2009 and 2011 UEFA Champions League finals.
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Ferguson is one of the most storied managers in the game's history, having won a record 13 Premier League titles in almost three decades at Manchester United. However, the legendary Scot had no answer to Messi on that fateful night in Rome more than a decade ago. Barcelona thwarted United's bid to become the first team to successfully defend their title in the Champions League era.
The game saw Messi score a rare headed goal, where he seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before slotting the ball home. Thanks to Samuel Eto'o's and Messi's strikes, Barcelona beat United 2-0 to win the continental treble.
Ferguson once said that Messi would be among the game's best players even if he had played in other generations.
Messi would again stand in the way of Ferguson two years later. His strike in the 2011 final against United helped Barcelona to their second Champions League title in three years.
#2 Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is a managerial legend, one of a handful of men to win league titles in four different countries.
The Italian also had a successful playing career, winning the Champions League with AC Milan both as a player and manager. As manager, he also won the competition with Real Madrid too.
During his storied managerial career, Ancelotti has managed many world-class players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Ribery, etc. But he has never managed Lionel Messi.
Now at Real Madrid, Ancelotti is striving to become the first manager in history to win league titles in five different countries. Speaking about his earlier stint in Madrid, Ancelotti said that he was in awe of Messi, and never talked about the player to his team.
He said about Messi:
“When we played a lot of time when I was in Madrid against Messi—who was one of the best opponents - don’t talk about Messi to the players.”
#1 Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp is one of the most successful managers in the game at the moment. The German tactician has won league titles in Germany and England.
Known for his heavy-metal brand of high-pressing football, Klopp has had an impact wherever he has managed. At Dortmund, he successfully punctuated Bayern Munich's Bundesliga domination. Now at Liverpool, he led the Reds to their first league title in three decades last season.
Over the years, Klopp has managed many world-class players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus, to name a few. However, he has never managed a certain Lionel Messi.
After Liverpool beat Messi's Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semis, Klopp was wholesome in his praise of the Argentinian. Despite the visitors ahead 3-0 from the first leg, Messi drew a blank as Barcelona were floored 4-0 in the return leg to lose on aggregate.
With Klopp well-settled at Liverpool and Messi joining PSG this summer, it's unlikely the two will be at the same club anytime soon.
